EC President Jean-Claude Juncker in dialogue with EU Bishops

Gozo Bishop Mgr Bishop Mario Grech represented the Maltese Episcopal Conference at the Spring Assembly of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), held in Brussels, during which European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered a keynote speech.

The dialogue with the President of the European Commission was an opportunity for Bishops to exchange on the main achievements and remaining priorities of Juncker’s Presidency.

President Juncker stated, “I am a fervent advocate of the social doctrine of the Church. It is one of the most noble teachings of our Church. All of this is part of a doctrine that Europe does not apply often enough. I would like us to rediscover the values and guiding principles of the social teaching of the Church.”

European Bishops reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to address the challenges that our continent and our people have to face, such as: digitalisation and technological development, demography, global warming and migration.

They also highlighted the need to combine efforts of all people of good will to better serving the common good, placing the human person at the heart of EU public policies.

Days before a possible Brexit and two months ahead of the EU 2019 parliament elections, Bishops recalled EU citizens’ responsibility to exercise their right and fulfil their duty to vote, giving new impulse to the European construction.

They noted that the electoral results will condition the political decisions impacting on our day to day lives during the next 5 years.

Bishops expressed the need to promote a European context of dialogue in order to discover opportunities behind challenges, proposing effective solutions for the wellbeing of all those living in the European Union.

Photo Gozo Diocese: Bishop Grech with Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, Archbishop of Luxembourg and President of COMECE, and Jean-Claude Juncker